


can't get better than this

by lorene



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: AU, Homesickness, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-31
Updated: 2016-07-31
Packaged: 2018-07-28 12:39:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7640470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lorene/pseuds/lorene
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maybe it just rained a lot more in Mississauga that it did in New Jersey.</p>
            </blockquote>





	can't get better than this

**Author's Note:**

> just something short and sweet i threw together.
> 
> I LOVE THIS PAIRING!! we need more of fics of them..

"-ve a fucking headache." Nathan mumbles.

Mikey was only staggering back from the bathroom and completely half asleep as felt his way to the bed. They weren't supposed to be awake at this hour, _no one_ was because it was still dark outside. The only source of light being dim morning fog that peaked it's way through the blinds that he had opened when he got up.

Nathan was curled up in his Nathan way, upside down and near the end of the bed. His feet were pointing to the headboard and the layers of blankets they slept with during the chilly nights were hazardly thrown off his body, flung off the edge.

Mikey was barely awake alright, but awake enough to know he wasn't going to back sleep anytime soon with Nate moaning in misery. He’d already made several attempts to wake Mikey up before, the final straw being the sorry-not-sorry-kick to Mikey’s shin.

"Want me to get you something?" Mikey whispered when he got back in bed. And although, he laid his head back down on his pillow with closed eyes, that didn't mean the offer didn't still stand. He just needed to feel what it's like to sleep again for a second _. Just a second_. He thought, then _I will tend to Nater._

Well he was ignored, because Nathan didn't answer him. Just when Mikey thought the coast was clear and he could actually go back to sleep, Nate sat up to reach for his- _Mikey’s_ \- bottle of water. “Advil.” he finally replied.

Mikey sighed and mentally prepared himself to get back up again, when Nathan kicked him in the ribs.

“Jesus, dude. I’m going.” Mikey huffed, quite honestly a little annoyed now. He didn't appreciate being kicked this early in the morning so he glared at Nate and made a show of jumping out of bed. This time instead of trying to feel his way through the bedroom again, he turned on the lamp and enjoyed the artificial yellow light that instantly brightened the room because now he could actually see. That’s always nice.

Well, apparently not everyone enjoyed light because Nathan snapped his head up and actually formed a sentence. “Mikey, turn that shit off. My fucking head hurts.”  
Mikey almost felt bad for his boyfriend. Almost, but not quite. Sleep was still important and because Nate was depriving him selfishly of his precious sleep, he left the light on and tuned out the grumbles behind him.

When he got into the kitchen, Mikey noticed two things. They didn't have any Advil and it was raining outside. Not pouring or anything but just enough to enjoy the pleasant sound of rain thrumming against the roof. He watched as dozens of tiny, clear droplets clung for dear life onto the already dewy window.

It was something that he never thought he would miss as much as he actually did.

He helped himself to another bottle of water, his own bottle and he would make sure it stayed that way. Hopefully, some cold water would help wake him up a bit and he found himself appreciating the shivers that ran up and down his bare arms from the brisk chill of the morning because it didn't seem to rain much in New Jersey.

So far, at least. They’ve only really been here a couple of months, a couple of long and sweltering months. It was now transitioning into fall, this was the first of rain he’s seen. Suddenly, Mikey was having a hard time remembering the last time he actually felt rain on his skin.

Maybe it just rained a lot more in Mississauga that it did in New Jersey.

But he couldn't- _couldn't_ think about Mississauga right now. Pushing the loitering thoughts on home to the back of his mind, Mikey did his best to ignore the pull of homesickness. Rain was making it hard to ignore though and he thinks about how much he’s missed it since they’d moved down here to Jersey.

God, how he’s missed it.

Finally tearing his eyes away from the window, he moved away. It was getting hard to keep staring outside like this so he went back into the bedroom. Any annoyance he had for Nate bruising him in multiple spots disappeared when he walked in and saw Nathan laying down on his own side of the bed, watching TV with the volume on mute. A guilty tug weighed on his heart because he knows just how much Nathan missed home. “Try not to kill me, but we don't have any Advil.” Mikey tells him.

The lamp that provided the much needed light was unplugged and Nate was so funny like that. Crawling over him, Mikey placed his icy cold hand onto Nate’s forehead. “I can run out and get you some.”

“It’s okay. You don't hafta.” Nate whispered. His foot was resting near the remote, that looked like it had been tossed aside carelessly.

Mikey says, “It's raining right now.” It's like that was the only excuse he needed right now.

With a soft look of innocence, Nate rolled over. “You love the rain.” He spoke no louder than a sleepy whisper and his eyes were half lidded. Although it was still mostly dark, Mikey was able to catch the gleam in them.

The gleam liked to show up when Nate would try to be cute like this and even if it was only stating a boring fact about Mikey, he still loved that gleam. He hasn't seen it much lately. Not since they left.

Mikey brushed his lips against Nathan’s. It wasn't a kiss, sort of just keeping their faces close as if Mikey were silently reassuring him. _I know it's hard. This is our home now._

The moment felt a little too powerful for him, he didn't want to think about Mississauga anymore. He didn't want to yearn for familiar streets, faces and for familiar rain anymore. He asks, “If you have such a headache then why’d you turn the TV on?”

Maybe in the moment, Nathan felt it too and maybe he momentarily forget about his headache because he whined and it sounded full and heavy. He turned the TV off. It was back to being dark again.

One thing Mikey liked about Nate, was that he was brave. He wasn't afraid to acknowledge his problems, insecurities, his feelings. Sometimes Mikey wished he could be more like him in that way, but then there were times where he couldn't believe Nate was this undaunting because Nathan looks at him and says, “I’ll come with you.”

It felt like it meant exactly what he thought it did. _You don't have to be scared. I'm right by your side, wherever we go._

Mikey swallows and he is sure Nathan follows the movement. “Don't forget your raincoat.”

“It's been awhile since we've had to use them.”

\---

They drove to the nearest gas station. The heater was on full blast and they were protected from the Jersey rain.

Neither of them mentioned the fact that they tracked mud into their brand new car. Mikey got rid of his old dodge pickup with the Ontario license plate. He didn't need the reminder that's where they came from. Nate’s head was pressed up against the window glass and Mikey wondered if he was listening to the raindrops fall beside his ear.

“How long has your head been hurting?”

Nathan shrugged weirdly, he was still leaning against the door. “I just woke up like this and couldn't go back to sleep.”

Mikey glanced at him, “I think you're faking it.”

The way Nathan turned his head to glare at him made him wish he hadn't said that. “ _Why_ would I fake having the worst migraine of my life, Mikey? That's stupid.”

Being homesick- when Mikey thinks of the word _homesick_ , he thinks of kids missing their parents while away at summer camp. Homesickness was temporary thing.

This was not temporary and they were not kids away from home for the summer. He and Nate- made the conscious decision to move. For a long time. It wasn't an easy decision but it was a good one in the long run. What laid here in New Jersey, was opportunities. They were going to start a life here together. A life that they both wanted with each other and it had taken just about every drop of courage to pick up and leave Mississauga.

There were a lot of things Mikey already missed back home, but he had to keep reminding himself that he and Nathan were here for a reason. “I know it’s been rough, with adjusting and all. I'm homesick too but-”

“What does being homesick have to do with a headache?” Nate interrupted sharply. It sounded too defensive for it to not have hit a nerve.

“Nate.” Mikey says softly because he needed for Nathan to know it was okay to be sad. He was too, but he couldn't make himself sick over it. “First it was your stomachaches, now it's the headaches, _Nate I miss_ -”

Mikey swallowed another lump in his throat down. His eyes were bleary just like the front window that the brakes ran over and over repeatedly like they were trying their best but the rain was coming down hard now and he didn't know how Nate did this. “I miss it too but we have a new life here. This is our home, this is where we belong. It's going to be so great, but please stop stressing yourself out like this. I hate seeing you so upset. I promise, it will get easier.”

Nathan didn't say anything. Mikey hoped he wasn't being ignored now. There was traffic once they actually got into town, and he wondered if this was a regular occurrence at five in the morning on a Sunday.

Once they parked, Nathan placed his hand on top of Mikey’s and squeezed. _I trust you when you tell me we didn't make a mistake._

Inside the convenience store, Mikey grabs three things. Some shitty gas station coffee, four packs of those mini powdered donuts Nathan loved and a box of Advil. Now- the last time Nathan had those mini donuts was when they were still back home. So when Mikey hands him the bag, he watched how his eyes lit up when he spotted them.

Mikey started the car, “They have them here too.” _Look, not everything is totally different here._

Nate’s hair was sticking straight up because he never bothered to do anything with it and he didn't smile but the deep set dimples Mikey loved so much appeared. Nate looked at him, it said a lot and one of those things was _I believe you._

\--

It was still raining by the time they got home.

Mikey barely had his seatbelt unbuckled when Nathan shook his jacket off and got out of the car. He walked around the hood and stopped when he stood in the middle of their new front lawn. They had a lawn now. But Mikey wasn't thinking about that- he was watching Nathan let himself get absolutely soaked with his head thrown back and arms up, a huge smile on his face.

It was one of those moments where you had to sit there for a second to make sure you memorized the image because it was just too beautiful and Mikey didn't think about whether or not he was ready to be touched by foreign rain. He just took off his own raincoat and joined Nathan on the lawn.

They probably looked really stupid. Two idiots standing in the rain at five thirty in the morning just in their pajamas. Mikey kissed Nathan, right then and there. _Thank you for being here with me. I couldn't have done this without you._

New Jersey rain was just rain. It wasn't different rain, it was cold and shivery and it could change patterns or let up at any minute. What Mikey was trying to tell Nate was that, Mississauga rain wasn't special. It was familiar and it was the only kind of rain they knew but it was still rain.

He thinks Nate got that now. The realization for both of them only lasted for another minute before they both were shaking and not willing to catch a cold.

Both of them were drenched. Maybe this wasn't a good idea because now they had to walk in the house and get the hardwood floors all wet.

“Oh come on, that was fun.” Nate commented. _Maybe that was all we needed._

Mikey proceeded to strip his wet clothes off in a hurry so he could grab a towel from the linen closet to dry off with. Nathan disappeared and by the time Mikey pushed the bedroom door open, he was back in bed with wet hair and a fresh pair of pajamas on.

“Whatcha doing?”

“Thinking.”

Mikey got into bed with him, and every so often Nate would ask for a kiss to which Mikey was more than happy to give.

The rain had came to an abrupt stop at some point. Nathan fell asleep to Mikey petting his hair, attempting to smooth it down. Honestly, it didn't matter where they were. It never did. They could be anywhere right now and Mikey thinks there would have been no avoiding the aching heartbreak for Mississauga. Somehow, that dimmed in comparison when he thought about the life they were going to have here in Jersey.

Yes, they were still so far away and it would hurt for a while but they were safe home now.


End file.
